Former Russian spy critically ill in Britain after exposure to unidentified substance

LONDON (Reuters) - Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, who was convicted by Russia of betraying agents to British intelligence, was critically ill on Monday after exposure to an unidentified substance in Britain, two sources close to the investigation told Reuters.

British police said two people, a 66-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman, had been found unconscious on a bench in a shopping center on Sunday in the southern English city of Salisbury after exposure to the unknown substance.

Both are critically ill in intensive care. Police declared a major incident.

Skripal, once a colonel in Russia’s GRU military intelligence service, was convicted in Russia of treason in 2006 but exchanged as part of a Cold War-style spy swap in 2010 on the tarmac of Vienna airport. Skripal is 66 years old.

British police did not release the names of those who were being treated but two sources close to the investigation told Reuters that the critically ill man was Skripal. It was unclear what the substance was, they said.

“This has not been declared as a counter-terrorism incident and we would urge people not to speculate,” Wiltshire police’s Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Craig Holden told reporters.

“However, I must emphasize that we retain an open mind, and that we continue to review this position.”

Relations between Britain and Russia have been strained since the murder of ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko with radioactive polonium-210 in London in 2006, a killing which a British inquiry said was probably approved by President Vladimir Putin.

The Kremlin has repeatedly denied any involvement in the killing.

Litvinenko, 43, an outspoken critic of Putin who fled Russia for Britain six years to the day before he was poisoned, died after drinking green tea laced with the rare and very potent radioactive isotope at London’s Millennium Hotel.

It took some time for British doctors to discern the cause of Litvinenko’s illness.

SPY SWAP

Skripal, who was arrested in 2004 by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) on suspicion of betraying dozens of Russian agents to British intelligence, was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2006.

But he was later pardoned in 2010 by then-President Dmitry Medvedev as part of a spy swap to bring 10 Russian agents held in the United States back to Moscow.

The swap, one of the biggest since the Cold War ended in 1991, took place on the tarmac of Vienna airport where a Russian and a U.S. jet parked side by side before the agents were exchanged.

One of the Russian spies exchanged for Skripal was Anna Chapman, who was greeted as a hero by the Kremlin. She was one of 10 spies who tried to blend in to American society in an apparent bid to get close to power brokers and learn secrets. They were arrested by the FBI in 2010.

Alexander Litvinenko.via The TelegraphAlexander Litvinenko was a former KGB agent who died three weeks after drinking a cup of tea at a London hotel that had been laced with deadly polonium-210.A British inquiry foundthat Litvinenko was poisoned by FSB agents Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun, who were acting on orders that had "probably approved by Mr Patrushev and also by President Putin."Litvinenko was very critical of Putin, accusing him of, among other things, blowing up an apartment block and ordering the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya.Anna Politkovskaya

Anna Politkovskaya was a Russian journalist who was critical of Putin. In her book "Putin's Russia," she accused Putin of turning his country into a police state. She was murdered by contract killers who shot her at point blank range in the lift outside her flat.Five men were convicted of her murder, but the judge found that it was a contract killing, with $150,000 paid by "a person unknown."A picture of slain journalist Anna Politkovskaya is shown during a candlelight vigil in front of the Russian Embassy.Mark Wilson/Getty ImagesNatalia Estemirova

Natalia Estemirova was a journalist who sometimes worked with Politkovskaya.She specialised in uncovering human-rights abuses carried out by the Russian state in Chechnya.She was abducted from outside her home and later found in nearby woodland with gunshot wounds to her head. No one has been convicted of her murder.Stanislav Markelov and Anastasia Baburova

Human-rights lawyer Stanislav Markelov represented Politkovskaya and other journalists who had been critical of Putin.He was shot by a masked gunman near the Kremlin. Journalist Anastasia Baburova, who was walking with him, was also shot when she tried to help him.Boris Nemtsov speaks at a news conference on "Corruption and Abuse in Sochi Olympics."Alex Wong/Getty ImagesBoris Nemtsov

Boris Nemtsov was a former deputy prime minister of Russia under Boris Yeltsin who went on to become a big critic of Putin — accusing himof being in the pay of oligarchs.He was shot four times in the back just yards from the Kremlin as he walked home from a restaurant. Despite Putin taking "personal control" of the investigation into Nemtsov's murder, the killer has not been found.Boris Berezovsky

Boris Berezovsky was a Russian oligarch who fled to Britain after he fell out with Putin. During his exile he threatened to bring down Putin by force. He was found dead at his Berkshire home in March 2013 in an apparent suicide, although an inquest into his death recorded an open verdict.Berezovsky was found dead inside a locked bathroom with a ligature around his neck. The coroner couldn't explain how he had died.The British police had on several occasions investigated alleged assassination attempts against him.Boris Berezovsky wears a mask showing the face of Russia's President Vladimir Putin, as he leaves Bow Street Magistrates Court.Graeme Robertson/Getty ImagesPaul Klebnikov

Paul Klebnikov was the chief editor of the Russian edition of Forbes. He had written about corruption and dug into the lives of wealthy Russians.He was killed in a drive-by shooting in an apparent contract killing.Sergei Yushenkov

Sergei Yushenkov was a Russian politician who was attempting to prove the Russian state was behind the bombing of an apartment block.He was killed in an assassination by a single shot to the chest just hours after his political organisation, Liberal Russia, had been recognised by the Justice Ministry as a party.

Alexander Litvinenko.via The TelegraphAlexander Litvinenko was a former KGB agent who died three weeks after drinking a cup of tea at a London hotel that had been laced with deadly polonium-210.A British inquiry foundthat Litvinenko was poisoned by FSB agents Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun, who were acting on orders that had "probably approved by Mr Patrushev and also by President Putin."Litvinenko was very critical of Putin, accusing him of, among other things, blowing up an apartment block and ordering the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya.Anna Politkovskaya

Anna Politkovskaya was a Russian journalist who was critical of Putin. In her book "Putin's Russia," she accused Putin of turning his country into a police state. She was murdered by contract killers who shot her at point blank range in the lift outside her flat.Five men were convicted of her murder, but the judge found that it was a contract killing, with $150,000 paid by "a person unknown."A picture of slain journalist Anna Politkovskaya is shown during a candlelight vigil in front of the Russian Embassy.Mark Wilson/Getty ImagesNatalia Estemirova

Natalia Estemirova was a journalist who sometimes worked with Politkovskaya.She specialised in uncovering human-rights abuses carried out by the Russian state in Chechnya.She was abducted from outside her home and later found in nearby woodland with gunshot wounds to her head. No one has been convicted of her murder.Stanislav Markelov and Anastasia Baburova

Human-rights lawyer Stanislav Markelov represented Politkovskaya and other journalists who had been critical of Putin.He was shot by a masked gunman near the Kremlin. Journalist Anastasia Baburova, who was walking with him, was also shot when she tried to help him.Boris Nemtsov speaks at a news conference on "Corruption and Abuse in Sochi Olympics."Alex Wong/Getty ImagesBoris Nemtsov

Boris Nemtsov was a former deputy prime minister of Russia under Boris Yeltsin who went on to become a big critic of Putin — accusing himof being in the pay of oligarchs.He was shot four times in the back just yards from the Kremlin as he walked home from a restaurant. Despite Putin taking "personal control" of the investigation into Nemtsov's murder, the killer has not been found.Boris Berezovsky

Boris Berezovsky was a Russian oligarch who fled to Britain after he fell out with Putin. During his exile he threatened to bring down Putin by force. He was found dead at his Berkshire home in March 2013 in an apparent suicide, although an inquest into his death recorded an open verdict.Berezovsky was found dead inside a locked bathroom with a ligature around his neck. The coroner couldn't explain how he had died.The British police had on several occasions investigated alleged assassination attempts against him.Boris Berezovsky wears a mask showing the face of Russia's President Vladimir Putin, as he leaves Bow Street Magistrates Court.Graeme Robertson/Getty ImagesPaul Klebnikov

Paul Klebnikov was the chief editor of the Russian edition of Forbes. He had written about corruption and dug into the lives of wealthy Russians.He was killed in a drive-by shooting in an apparent contract killing.Sergei Yushenkov

Sergei Yushenkov was a Russian politician who was attempting to prove the Russian state was behind the bombing of an apartment block.He was killed in an assassination by a single shot to the chest just hours after his political organisation, Liberal Russia, had been recognised by the Justice Ministry as a party.

Good to see folks of Salisbury have right priorities, stuff eggs Benedict Arnold, Stakeknife and the Clancy's

But far from perturbed by the activity unfolding around them, residents and workers simply zigzag around the cordons.People are more worried about the local pie shop being closed, says Leuene Jackman, peering over the police tape at the forensics team.

As if Russia would be so stupid to take out an x military officer with some poison in the UK knowing the blame is going to be directly pointed at them. Same with all anti Russian propaganda from those who want war they never provide any evidence though.

Why do people actually want wars, that is the question you have to ask. What type of brain dead numbskull gets off on dropping bombs or firing missiles from thousands of miles away at people, most of whom will be killed will be innocent? Obviously Americans need not answer.

Can't you dumb fuks of whatever nationality who want wars go find your own island and go have some mano mano unarmed combat and leave the other 6.9 billion of us out of it.

As if Russia would be so stupid to take out an x military officer with some poison in the UK knowing the blame is going to be directly pointed at them. Same with all anti Russian propaganda from those who want war they never provide any evidence though.

Au contraire. It could equally well be Putin saying "I can do what I fucking like and you can't do jack shit ner ner ne ner ner".

Au contraire. It could equally well be Putin saying "I can do what I fucking like and you can't do jack shit ner ner ne ner ner".

You seem to be confusing Putin with American foreign policy over the last 30 years.

Russia wants to trade and be economically viable but ever since they got rid of the alcoholic US puppet Yeltsin the West or rather the US has decided that Russia is some big bad enemy again and let's all have a new cold war.

Yesterday the CNN run the whole day a debate: How the West will do when it's found that the Russians poisoned their spy?
I am afraid that a WW3 will be declared...
(The Troy War had at least a good reason: a beautiful Helen...)